Robber Fly from South Africa

Subject: weird scary bug Location: cape town January 10, 2017 3:22 am I keep seeing this weird dinosaure like bug around. It has a long skinny curved body, unless it’s a sting (I know nothing about insects), and 6 legs. We never see it flying but, often completely still. Also it’s very big, and tall on its legs. let me know what you think 🙂 Signature: Sacha

Robber Fly

Dear Sacha, This is a predatory Robber Fly in the family Asilidae, and though there is not much detail in your image, it does resemble this individual posted to iSpot. While we would not rule out the possibility of a person being bitten by a Robber Fly, we think that is highly unlikely unless a person tried to handle a Robber Fly. Predatory Robber Flies generally prey upon flying insects that they catch on the wing.